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New York

Brokering during the day, gigs at night

Singer-songwriter and Miron Properties agent Kelly Waters
Singer-songwriter and Miron Properties agent Kelly Waters

An increasing number of musicians are singing a different tune these days: real estate. Industry insiders said they’re seeing more and more musicians becoming residential brokers.

“We should have a talent show for our agents,” said Jeffrey Schleider, owner and founder of the brokerage Miron Properties. “Many people have had record deals or have been on MTV. It’s amazing.”

Singer-songwriter Kelly Waters joined Miron four months ago, for example, while DJ David Gaidowski joined the firm a year ago. Ari Goldstein, an MNS broker who focuses on sales in Williamsburg and Greenpoint, performs with a hip hop group called Defunk, while his MNS colleague Eric Volpe is the guitarist in the rock band Race to Dawn.

The reason for the uptick, industry insiders said, is that real estate offers a flexible schedule that allows musicians to continue performing while supplementing their income. The trend is most prevalent in neighborhoods like Williamsburg and Soho — established hubs of art and music that also happen to be some of the city’s most desirable residential neighborhoods.

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And the skills required in the music industry also come in handy as a real estate agent. “Both industries are so largely built upon networking and great relationships,” said Douglas Elliman’s Matt Jacob Meyer, a blues-rock musician and composer who began his real estate career with Ideal Properties Group five years ago.

As a real estate broker, “you have to perform,” Waters added. “In the music industry, even if you’ve had a bad day, you have to bring it. That’s the same as real estate.”

Schleider agreed that “anyone capable of managing a band is more than capable of handling a real estate transaction.”

In fact, “bands are notoriously difficult,” he added. “By comparison, a real estate transaction is easy.”